Whack a cap in it

Our Building Inspectors see all types of timber products and applications when out and about on work sites.

It is not always widely known that certain types of timber can only be used for internal purposes, unless it is protected in some way.

Timber materials that are exposed to the elements must be installed and protected strictly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

If timber is not installed correctly then the life of the material may be substantially reduced and the installation is considered to be defective work.

One recent site inspection revealed that the framing of a timber deck structure at the rear of an extension consisted of LVL bearers and joists.

The LVL bearers and joists to the deck structure did not have malthoid capping installed and had not been painted for protection against moisture.

This meant that the installation of the LVL bearers and joists to the deck did not comply with the Building Code of Australia 2012 Volume 2 Clause P2.1 Structural stability and resistance to actions, or the Manufacturers Hyne Technical Data Sheet 6 for LVL products.